A Tory MP has voiced his support for the Chancellor after Philip Hammond described Brussels as "the enemy" in Brexit negotiations.

Sir Bill Cash, MP for Stone, told Sky News: "I don't think that language is being used for the purposes of trying to enhance reputations.

"I think it's actually a sense of frustration because everybody know that there's a war of attrition going on and every single time we re-open the negotiations, they come back and you hear (European Commission President Jean-Claude) Juncker saying there isn't sufficient progress.

"Then you see Mr Juncker's speech and it's all full of their ideas for their kind of Europe.

"And you get exactly the same with (France's President Emmanuel Macron).

"It is inconceivable that we would accept the ideas that they're putting forward for their kind of Europe and yet they're creating a situation in which the United Kingdom is being threatened and that's not the way to treat us."

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Earlier, Chancellor Philip Hammond told Sky News that he understood emotions in the Government were running high, but urged his colleagues to stop squabbling and focus on the Brexit talks.

He said: "My message is this: I understand that passions are high and I understand that people have very strong views about this but we're all going to the same place, we all have the same agenda.

"The enemy, the opponents are out there, they're on the other side of the negotiating table. Those are the people we have to negotiate with, negotiate hard to get the very best deal for Britain."

The provocative language is a major departure for the Chancellor, who has hitherto been regarded by his European counterparts as one of the most moderate, collaborative participants in the Brexit talks.

A matter of hours after making the controversial remark, Mr Hammond apologised for his "poor choice of words".

"We will work with our friends and partners in the EU on a mutually beneficial Brexit deal," he tweeted, ending his message with #noenemieshere.

He described as "bizarre" allegations from some MPs that he was "talking down the economy".

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The Chancellor has been under fire after writing in a newspaper column this week that he had no immediate plans to spend more to buttress the economy against the prospect of there being no deal in the Brexit talks.